A man who laced treats with sleeping medication and distributed them to minors at a summer program in Leicestershire has confessed to sexual offences against two children aged nine and ten years old.
Jon Ruben was taken into custody after eight children and a grown-up experienced illness at Stathern Lodge in July.
The elderly man, from the Nottinghamshire area, confessed to a series of 17 offences when he appeared at the courthouse on recently.
Yet, he refused to admit one of the sexual offences he was facing, which was concerning a nine-year-old child.
The accused was remanded in custody ahead of a subsequent court date on late November.
'Sweet game'
The prosecutor, prosecuting, detailed the defendant's actions to the judicial body.
She explained his victims were disadvantaged youngsters who were staying at a summer program which he operated.
The defendant played a "candy game" with the minors, the legal counsel stated, in which he would go into the children's bedrooms when they were settling down and request they to eat sweets "as quickly as they can".
She told the court Ruben had conducted this practice with the young males "repeatedly", and children had earlier experienced illness the next day.
She said the man had been successful in rationalizing this for many years as the children being "overwrought by enjoyment", until his stepchild had concerns in recently.
The legal representative added: "In the summer" his family member had worries about what was going on, justifiably.
"They decided to examine in the defendant's belongings."
The legal counsel stated materials including lubricant, Vaseline and medical needles were located, and his family member contacted the authorities about his concerns.
She said the defendant continued to conduct the "sweet game" with six youngsters that evening - that Saturday - and they were everyone unwell the subsequent day.
"Law enforcement" had not arrived by that stage," she added.
The regulatory agency, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, had stated that it was investigating law enforcement's management of the events.
The prosecutor stated the children were struggling to walk due to being ill, so the family member notified the law enforcement once more.
She stated the man then engaged in the "sweet game" in a area of five minors.
